Policing and Accountability free essay sample

A look at the police structure and the way it functions in the United States. This paper examines how maintaining local control over the activities of police is thought to be the most effective way of avoiding unpleasant circumstances, particularly those pertaining to abuse. The paper discusses the growing pressure on the police to forgo its so-called autonomy and argues that this form of control over the police force leads to inefficiency and causes an inferior quality of police service with regard to racial, ethnic and religious minorities. The current methods of holding the police accountable for their activities include absolute control of the mayor or the head of the region over the police agency that exists within his jurisdiction. Most police agencies today are headed by a single administrator with a number of Boards and organizational bodies that seek to maintain control over the police and hold it accountable for any unscrupulous and suspect activities. We will write a custom essay sample on Policing and Accountability or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The main reason for maintaining such control is because previously the police enjoyed unchecked power and protection from those with political clout and influence. Such members of the community in fact used the police to curry favors and harass those who were their enemies (i.e. during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries). As a direct result of this corruption in police agencies was widespread and the people in fact needed protection from the police itself. This led to the establishment of the famous Wickersham Commission that published its findings based on the thorough investigation of police operations in 1931. Through a process of gradual evolution methods of accountability were developed to control the activities of the police to a great extent.